1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insert for a baseball type cap installed inside the baseball type cap during packaging and shipping that serves to retain the cap""s shape against crushing forces. A typical baseball type cap includes a crown portion and a visor portion connected to the front of the crown portion.
2. Description of Related Art
Visored or baseball type caps are well known in the art and come in many configurations. They include a hemispherical crown portion to fit onto a wearer""s head and a visor or bill portion attached to the front of the hemispherical crown portion.
A baseball type cap is susceptible to crushing forces during packaging and shipping. The effect on an unprotected hat is that it tends to collapse inwardly resulting in a sloppy, wrinkled and undesirable appearance. The industry has typically used outer rigid packaging covers to protect the cap during shipping and packaging. While these covers protect the cap from crushing forces, they do not support the crown portion from underneath. An underneath supporting insert will force the cap to retain its shape for long periods of time and can be used by the retail purchaser to retain the cap""s shape when not in use.
The present invention can be distinguished from U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,649, a cap insert. U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,649 discloses xe2x80x9ca cap insert comprises an elongated sheet which is flexible but sufficiently rigid for use as a shaping insert in a baseball type cap. The sheet is substantially planar in a relaxed state and includes a central portion, opposing tapered portions, and opposing leg portions. The sheet fits inside a baseball type cap around the sweatband, and successfully returns an old baseball type cap to its proper shape.xe2x80x9d The present invention incorporates the distinction of reusable insert conceived to prevent crushing or wrinkling of the cap during shipping and packaging. It is shaped and sized to follow the inner surface contours of the front portion of a baseball type cap crown. On the other hand, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,649 insert is flat and is used to restore an xe2x80x9cold capxe2x80x9d to wearable condition. The present invention is inserted into or around the cap sweatband and not just around it like the U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,649 insert. The flat insert of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,649 would give no support to a baseball type cap crown during shipping.
An objective of the present invention is to overcome the non-underneath support disadvantages of the prior art by providing a baseball type cap insert, which supports the hemispherical crown portion against crushing during shipping and packaging.
Its is also an objective of the present invention to provide an insert which will maintain the baseball type cap""s shape from the time of manufacture through shipping and packaging, retail sale and into extended and extensive cap use by the consumer.
It is still another important objective of the present invention is to provide an insert which is readily and inexpensively manufactured.
The invention is a cap packaging insert. The cap packaging insert includes a supporting, sufficiently rigid, partial crown portion shaped and sized to follow the inner surface contours of the front portion of a baseball type cap crown. The cap packaging insert fits within the front portion of the baseball type cap crown. It is retained within the baseball type cap by inserting it into or around the baseball type cap sweatband. During packaging and shipping the cap packaging insert retains the shape of the front portion of the baseball type cap crown. The supporting, sufficiently rigid, partial crown portion has an inner surface and an outer surface, a lower peripheral edge and an aft peripheral edge.
In another variation on the invention the supporting, sufficiently rigid, partial crown portion can be fabricated from plastic, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), propylene and poly propylene (PP), or cardboard.
Yet another variation on the invention uses an injection mode as a means to manufacture the supporting, sufficiently rigid, partial crown portion.
Still another variation on the invention uses a press mode as a means to manufacture the supporting, sufficiently rigid, partial crown portion.
The cap packaging insert, in another version of the invention, includes a supporting, sufficiently rigid, crown portion shaped and sized to follow the inner surface contours of the baseball type cap crown. The cap packaging insert fits within the baseball type cap crown portion. It is retained by inserting it into or around the baseball type cap sweatband. During packaging and shipping, the cap packaging insert retains the shape of the baseball type cap crown. The supporting, sufficiently rigid, crown portion has an inner surface and an outer surface, and a lower peripheral edge. The lower peripheral edge has a circumferential linear extent of a first predetermined length.
In another variation on this form of the invention the supporting, sufficiently rigid, crown portion can be fabricated from plastic, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), propylene and poly propylene (PP), or cardboard.
Yet another variation on this form of the invention uses an injection mode as a means to manufacture the supporting, sufficiently rigid, crown portion.
Still another variation on this form of the invention uses a press mode as a means to manufacture the supporting, sufficiently rigid, crown portion.
The present invention provides underneath support of the crown portion of a baseball type cap against crushing forces encountered during shipping and packaging and thus overcomes the non-underneath support disadvantages of the prior art.
The present invention also satisfies an invention objective by providing an insert, which will maintain the baseball type cap""s shape from the time of manufacture through shipping and packaging, retail sale and into extended and extensive cap use by the consumer.
The present invention also satisfies the invention objective to provide an insert that is readily and inexpensively manufactured.